And with every team still in the running for a place in the finals on the Gold Coast on February 22, and a record $400,000 prize fund at stake, the in-season tournament has been a huge success.
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One star who agrees is three-time NBL champion Casey Prather, who will miss the remainder of the Brisbane Bullets’ NBL26 campaign with a knee injury.
“Anytime you put some money on the line, teams really start to show who they really want to be,” Prather said on Wednesday’s NBL Now.
“Look at a team like New Zealand, which has been at the bottom of the league for most of the time. But now when you throw a little money at it, things change.
“Every possession matters at that point. You look at teams that are down by 30 in the fourth quarter and their starters are still playing the game, because, not only are they competitive, but they want a piece of that money.”
The next of those 11 games begins on Wednesday night when ladder-leader New Zealand host Sydney in Hamilton, with Prather looking forward to the contest.
Prather said, “New Zealand right now, they’re looking impressive. Any time you can say there’s money at stake, those guys come in hungry and they look like a completely different team. So I wouldn’t be surprised if New Zealand are in that final.”
“(To do that, they have to overcome Sydney) who are a team that is very exciting to watch. I wouldn’t be surprised if they finish in the top three at the end of the league.
“(Especially) Xavier Cook is the key to that Sydney team. If he’s involved and he’s playing with confidence and doing all the things that Xavier Cook can do, that Sydney team is very dangerous.”
Also a former NBL23 MVP, Prather called the point guard battle between Sydney’s Kendrick Davis and New Zealand’s Parker Jackson-Cartwright a must-see.
“You got a guy like Kendrick who is an amazing scorer, PJC is also in his own right,” Prather said.
“Any time PJC can put in the work to find his other comrades and get everyone else involved, he’s much more dangerous and much more valuable.”
“The two snakes on the team are going exactly the same way, so whoever can cut off the head first wins.”
Wednesday’s fixture tips at 5.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN.
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